SUS News: Recycling Deception
A few weeks ago it was released that American multinational oil and gas corporation, ExxonMobil, is being sued by California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, for the wrongful promotion of recycling as a cure-all for plastic waste. “ExxonMobil knew that 95% of the plastic in the blue bin was going to be incinerated, go into the environment or go into a landfill,” Bonta was quoted as telling NBC News.
With the words, “Please Recycle Me,” plastic producers have long pushed the plastic pollution problem onto the consumer. This lawsuit is the first step in these large billion-dollar corporations being held accountable for prioritizing profit over the environment.
If this is your first time hearing that only around 5% of plastic actually gets recycled, don’t feel too discouraged. While SUS is doing everything we can to make sure those plastic bottles don’t end up in our natural environments, there are ways for you to reduce your plastic use. Low-waste refill stores are gaining popularity throughout the United States; stores where you can refill the containers you have rather than buying new containers with every purchase. Here are a few that have partnered with SUS:
We Fill Good, Kittery, Maine
Replenish, Dover, New Hampshire
Green Road Refill, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Green House, Newburyport, Massachusetts
Yes!, Arlington, Massachusetts
UVIDA, North End, Boston, Massachusetts
Great.full Goods, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Unpacked Living, Beverly, Massachusetts
Read the article yourself — 'They knew and they lied': California sues ExxonMobil, alleging deception about plastics recycling by Evan Bush, NBC News